First of all Zootopia In our opinion, perhaps the best pictures Disney Disneation has made in 30 years. Part fun detective story, part world-smart, and full of humor and heart, it’s everything you want from a Disney movie and more. So, of course, a sequel is inevitable. And of course, it is possible and inevitable that this place could not survive that. Anyway, with zootopia 2, Disney animation gives us enough of what we love and remember from that first movie to make a solid, albeit flawed, sequel.
Zootopia 2 picks up almost immediately after the events of the first film. Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) become pseudo-celebrities after saving the house in the first film but soon find themselves struggling to make ends meet. They are banned and isolated but eventually catch a whiff of something big. Something that could change the course of zootopia’s history.
That it has something to do with Gary, the snake portrayed by Oscar Winner ke huy quan. One thing you never thought about at first Zootopia There are all kinds and species of animals that we haven’t seen in that movie. One especially for reptiles, too Zootopia 2 It spends a good amount of time explaining why there are no corpses in Zootopia, why snakes in particular are feared, and finally why it might all be a rage to cover a very bad site.
And so Nick and Judy begin an investigation into Gary, his whereabouts, plans and more. It brings them to new parts of the city and introduces them to all kinds of new characters. A few stops are the powerful lynx family portrayed by David Strathairn, Andy Samberg, Macaulay Purikin, and Brenda Song; The new Mayor of Zootopia, Brian Winddance, a stallion is portrayed by Patrick Warburton; and nibbles Maplestick, the beaver-pulled beaspiracy theory revealed by the Fortune feimster. Each of these characters is amazing and complementary, but the nibbles are a stand-in, playing an important role in Judy’s nick and case.
The problem with Zootopia 2 Is that, even with all those great new characters and the return of all your favorites from the first film, there is a noticeable imbalance in the narrative. We are told how this case is, but it doesn’t sound that way either. That’s because most of the action is set apart from the Greater of the City, taking place in distant sections without many characters. So, while we get more details about Gary, their snakes, and the hidden heritage, we see it from a very limited perspective. That allows the film to focus more on the friendship between Nick and Judy, which is fine, but it also makes things seem less than they really are.
We love Nick and Judy, so they see each of them explore what they have and how they exchange rewards. It never felt like that fit together with this resolution and what it means for Zootopia as a whole. They’re even separated for a good portion of the film, which makes it less distracting.
When Nick and Judy go back to each other because of the last film’s extension, though, most of it goes away. There Zootopia 2 A little wonky to begin with, the third act of the film reminds you why this sequel exists in the first place and almost captures that magic that made the first film so special. In the end, you will feel like you are dancing in the aisles, like the characters on the screen.
It also helps that it seems like a single frame of Zootopia 2 it has something special to it. Not only is everything just beautiful, but there are jokes, references, and Easter eggs flying faster than you can see. More often than not, you’ll wish you could hit pause and rewind to see what specific characters were mentioned or if you actually saw the cameo or reference you thought you did.
Basically, Zootopia 2 not really Zootopiabut what? It’s very rare that sequels are better than their originals, and this is no exception. That said, it’s a great sequel and a great movie that does justice to this world and these characters. We hope to see more of them in the future. Just don’t make us wait another 10 years.
Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, Zootopia 2 Opens November 26.
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